Falcon four-cylinder arrives

Months late and not soon enough, Ford is today launching the Falcon variant it hopes will drag it out of the sales doldrums.

Ford has embarked on a detailed drip feed media campaign for the Falcon EcoBoost – a four-cylinder version of the Falcon large car that’s experienced a sales slump for more than a decade – that this week culminates in the car officially going on sale.

Dealers have had some demonstrators on their lots since last week, but this week is the first time customers can drive the much hyped new Falcon EcoBoost away.

The Falcon EcoBoost goes on sale in three models priced from $37,235, plus on-road costs.

As with other Falcon variants, discounting is likely to be substantial from the outset; dealers offer about $8000 or $10,000 off the entry-level models.

Ford had initially planned to charge a price premium for the four-cylinder EcoBoost Falcons, but the company changed its mind to price the car at the same level as the six-cylinder that for more than half a century has been the staple drivetrain of the Falcon.

The 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder gets less power and torque than the traditional 4.0-litre six-cylinder engine.

But the 179kW of power is only 16kW shy of the 195kW from the six-cylinder, which also has slightly more weight to carry around.

A torque peak of 353Nm is less than the six-cylinder’s 391Nm, but the turbocharged EcoBoost produces its maximum at just 2000rpm, whereas the six-cylinder’s peak arrives at 3250rpm.

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While earlier reports suggested the four-cylinder Falcon EcoBoost had to be filled with more expensive premium unleaded fuel, the car’s listing on the government’s Green Vehicle Guide website shows it can run on regular unleaded, which will be a crucial consideration for the governments and fleets expected to place running costs as a high priority.